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Three members of law enforcement perished and more than a dozen people got wounded in what appears to be premeditated blast caused by gas at a country home in northern Italy.

Event Timeline

The blast took place as police and firefighters went into the residence close to Verona to enforce an removal notice for a brother and sister trio who were older adults.

The three victims who died belonged to the Carabinieri military police.

Investigation Developments

Two individuals were taken into custody at the site and another man who fled after the explosion was apprehended soon after. The trio have been taken to hospital.

The detonation could be heard as far as 3 miles distant and photographs from the area showed the structure left as a mass of wreckage.

“This moment calls for sorrow,” stated the Interior Minister the Interior Minister, who noted that attempts had been made to evict the brother and sister trio in the earlier times.

Background and Motive

The head of the Veneto area, Luca Zaia, stated the residence was facing an court order due to debts incurred by the three owners.

Conflict resolution experts had been assigned to speak to the family members who had barricaded themselves into the property. When the officers came just after 03:00 (01:00 GMT), investigators believe a family member triggered the detonation.

“Upon entering the house, we were confronted with an act of absolute madness,” regional commander Claudio Papagno stated to reporters.

A propane tank had been activated, and the explosion immediately struck our members,” he added.

Incendiary devices were also discovered at the property, the Interior Minister stated.

Casualties and Damage

Injured individuals by the blast consisted of eleven more officers of the police force as well as a trio of personnel of Italy's state police and a fire services member.

As stated by the Verona prosecutor, the property was in a derelict state and had no electricity.

The prosecutor believed the detonation had taken place on a story above the doorway and told reporters it was a “intentional and planned killing”. Shortly before the incident, he revealed personnel had “heard a whistle, probably the gas cylinders being activated”.

Community Reaction

“All of us understood the scenario was critical,” neighbors told local news, adding that the trio had in the past stated to “cause an explosion” rather than vacate the property.

“The incident exacted a ‘dreadful, extremely sad and dramatic price’.”

The Defense Minister Guido Crosetto stood alongside other political leaders in commemorating the trio of personnel who had died in the line of duty.